Player-piano action.



G. M. RUSSELL.

PLAYER PIANO ACTION.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 11. 1914.

Patented Dec.18,1917

Witnesses GUY MANLY RUSSELL, OF R0 COMPANY, OF NEW Yfi? PATENT OFFICE.

ZR, IEE' Z'QRIST, ASSIGITOR TO AMERICAN PIANO CQRPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

IPLAYER-PIANO ACTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 18, 1917.

Application filed November 11, 1914. Serial No. 871,507.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Ee it known that 1, Guy Manny llnssnLL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Rochester, county of Monroe, and r tate of New York, have invented an Improvement in Player-Piano Actions, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to an automatic action for player pianos and the like and pertains more particularly to the transmisson mechanism intermediate the automatic power operated strikers and the tone sounding actions.

Among other objects, the invention is intended to provide a simple and effectual transmission means for applying preferably direct thrust to a wippen or the like, the mechanism being also preferably adjust able for various purposes.

The character of the invention may be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in waich:

Figure 1. is a side elevation partly in section of an illustrative tone sounding action associated with one practicable embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view on a larger scale of certain of the parts shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale of the parts shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a detached detail section on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

In Fig. l is shown a typical unit of a piano action comprising a hammer 5 and string 6, the hammer being connected by suitable intermediate elements with a wippen 7 having an abstract 8 to be operated by a key 9 of the usual manual.

The power operated strikers are exemplified by a bank of striker pneumatics 10, 11, 12, secured to an action chest 13 and having their movable boards arranged respectively to operate stickers 14, 15 and 16.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the pneumatics 10, 11 and 12, and companion pneumatics for the other note sounding units of the action, are in staggered relation, their respective stickers terminating all on the same level contiguous to the heels of the wippens 7 of the action... The level of the upper ends of the various stickers, is indicated by the head 18 of the sticker 14. Thus the stickers 1G correspoiuling to the lower tier of pneumatics 1') are of one length, the stickers 15 for the tier of pneumatics 11 are of a lesser and intermediate length, and the stickers 14 for the tier of pueumatics 10 are of still less length.

Preferably each sticker is engaged with a rocking link 20 and, as illustrated in the drawings, these links 20 for all the stickers may be disposed in the same horizontal plane above the stack of striker pneun'iatics. Each link 20 is preferably provided with an adjustable stop 21, and when various links are disposed at substantially the same level it is convenient to have the steps 21 corresponding to said links carried upon a single rail 22 extending transv ely of the links. Connected with rail or otherwise suitably supported is a rest rail '23 upon which the links 20 may rest in their idle positions.

The details of the construction of the illustrated form of transmission means intermediate the striker pneumatics and the pi ano action units may be described, conveniently by selecting the pneumatic 10 and construcassociated parts to exenuilify the tion of other similar parts.

Referring to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the movable board 25 of the pneumatic 10 has secured thereto a bifurcated finger 26. A block 2'7 is located between the bifurcations of the finger Q6 and is pivoted thereto by a shaft 28 preferably having a bushing of felt or the like. A socket 29 in the block 27 is internally threaded to receive a threaded part of the sticker 14. v

The link 20 is bifurcated, the sticker 14 extending upwardly through the bifurcations thereof. A shaft 30, preferably having a bushing of felt or the like connects the bifurcations of the link 20, and said shaft 30 has a threaded aperture to be engaged by threads on the sticker 14. The link 20 is pivoted upon a pin 32 preferably having a bushing of felt or the like, and mounted on a bracket conveniently supported upon the stationary board of the pneumatic 10.

lVith the arrangement described, the collapse of the striker pneumatic 10 moves the sticker 14 upwardly so that the sticker head 18 moves in substantially a straight line, the link 20 serving to guide the sticker and maintain it in its desired line of travel. The link 20 is of substantial length and its pivot 32 is so disposed with relation to the pivots 28 and and to the hinge of the pneumatic 10, that to all intents and purposes the movement of the sticker 1% is substantially that of one of the members of a parallel link motion.

By thus providing for a substantially straight line movement of the sticker 1 1, it is caused to exert a substantially direct thrust upon the wippen or other part of the tone sounding action, while minimizing the sliding or wiping action of the sticker head on the wippen or other part of the tone sounding action, such as occurs when a sticker or its equivalent or substitute is moved in a substantial arc in its movement of attack upon a wippen or other part.

The head 18 of the sticker let is preferably fixed upon the sticker and made in the form of a capstan screw having one or more apertures to receive an implement for turning the screw. The sticker 14 is threaded throughout such parts of its length as may be necessary to accommodate desired adjustments and as illustrated in the drawings the stickers 1% may be threaded throughout their entire length.

Vl hen so constructed, the parts may beassembled by screwing the sticker 14 through the shaft 30 and then into the block 27. lhe distance between the movable board of the pneumatic 10 and the link 20 may thereafter be adjusted by unscrewing the sticker 1 1 from the block 27; screwing the sticker through the shaft 30 until the desired length of sticker depends below the shaft 30; and then again screwing the lower end of the sticker into the block 27 far enough to eifect the desired adjustment.

The threads on the sticker 14 which engage the shaft 30 are preferably of the same pitch as the threads engaging the block 27 and when this is so, the sticker 14, while engaging both the shaft 30 and block 27, may be turned to adjust the height of the sticker head 18 in relation to the Wippen or other part.

To suit the described adjustments and also to provide a considerable extent of engagement between the threads of the sticker 1 1 of the block 27, it is preferred that the threaded aperture 29 be offset as shown in Fig. 3 from the pivot 28, this permitting the sticker 1 1 to be screwed clear through the block 27 or to a suflicient distance therethrough to suit any required adjustment.

It is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the specific construction and organization above described and shown in the drawings; on the contrary the illustrative construction and organization may be variously modified and the invention may be variously embodied within the scope of the subjoined claim. Furthermore it is not indispensable that all the features of the invention be used conjointly since they may be used to advantage separately.

I claim An automatic tone sounding action comprising, in combination, a striker pneumatic; a tone sounding action including a wippen; a sticker threaded throughout substantially its entire length; a guide link for the sticker; means providing threaded connection with the sticker and pivotal connection with the guide link and the movable board of the striker pneumatic; and an adjustable stop acting upon the guide link to limit the collapsing movement of the striker pneumatic, whereby the sticker may be vertically adjusted to position its upper end relatively to the point of attack upon the wippen, the

guide link and the movable board of the pneumatic, and whereby the collapsing movement of the pneumatic may be limited independently of the first adjustment.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GUY MANLY RUSSELL.

Witnesses 2 COLIN GILLIAN ODnLL, MAX VICTOR GRAVES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of. Patents, Washington, D. G. 

